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Pfaff Creative 4.5 Review (2023 Update)
Note from the Editor: This Pfaff Creative 4.5 review was originally written in 2012, and has been revised and updated in 2023. We have added alternatives such as Janome MB-7, Brother SE2000, Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9850.
When I first read about the release of the Pfaff Creative 4.5, I was anxious to review it and made a special trip to Cynthia’s Fine Fabrics in Tamarac, Florida, the first chance I got.
This fully computerized sewing and embroidery machine is the latest in the Pfaff family of embroidery machines.
Pfaff Creative 4.5 Overview
Praff Creative 4.5 is an embroidery centric sewing machine that combines a wide array of features with exclusive technology in a large creative space created by the capabilities of this machine. Some features include 480 onboard stitches inclusive of 5 alphanumeric fonts, and more than 200 onboard embroidery designs. The device has a stitch creator where you can customize your own stitches. Needle positioning is extremely precise and a storage space has aos been built into the embroidery unit for added convenience. You also get four-way mirror imaging and you will be able to change the size of embroidery designs without having to alter the stitch count.
The Pfaff Creative 4.5 has one of the most eye-catching motifs I’ve seen on a sewing machine in quite a while. The entire front panel is a deep shade of purple that reminds me of a concord grape.
The pink accents only add to the aesthetics. There is a stitch selection guide inside the lid that conceals the thread and bobbin winder and a large butterfly seam guide on the needle plate.
The Pfaff Creative 4.5 also has a large backlit color touchscreen and a stylus mounted on front. In addition to the on board accessories case, there is also a large embroidery unit that provides additional storage space for bobbins and accessories.
The detachable IDT guarantees that extra thick fabric and multiple layers go through the feed dogs evenly and smoothly. Function buttons above the needle include: start/stop; needle up/down; presser foot up/down; reverse stitch and cut.
What are some alternatives for Pfaff Creative 4.5?
Pfaff Creative 4.5 is a high end embroidery machine that is priced on the more expensive side. Here are some alternatives that you could look at when considering buying.
MB7 is a very high end industrial grade device that has got it all. There is not much that it can not do. You think, and it does it. For features, the MB7 comes with an impressive 6 LED lamps built over the needle area. It also packs 50 inbuilt designs and 10 different fonts for monogramming. You can transfer your designs via USB. There are three different formats available for your embroidery designs and the device runs at a decent 800SPM.
The Brother SE2000 Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine is a versatile and powerful machine that is perfect for both sewing and embroidery enthusiasts. With 138 built-in embroidery designs and 240 built-in stitches, including 10 buttonhole styles, this machine offers a wide range of options for all types of sewing projects. The SE2000 also features a large 3.2" color LCD touch screen, which allows for easy navigation and access to a wide range of stitch options and settings. With a maximum embroidery area of 5" x 7", the SE2000 can handle large and complex embroidery designs with ease. The machine also features a built-in USB port, allowing you to import and save your own embroidery designs. The SE2000's automatic needle threader and drop-in bobbin system make it easy to get started on your next project, while the machine's automatic thread cutter and programmable foot control allow for hands-free operation and more precise control over the sewing process. Additionally, the SE2000 comes with a wide range of accessories, including seven presser feet, to help you tackle any sewing or embroidery project with ease. With its advanced features and high-quality construction, the Brother SE2000 Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a reliable and versatile machine that can handle a wide range of sewing and embroidery tasks.
Are you searching for a compact-size embroidery machine? Then, with Janome Horizon Memory Craft 850, your hunt just ended. The machine can impress you with its versatility and abundance of great features. It consists of sewing and embroidery modes, allowing you to easily switch between the skills. Moreover, the machine provides you with up to 200x 280mm hoop capabilities to ensure precision, especially during embroidery, and the latest needle threading system lets you do some vibrant stitching.
What are the features on Pfaff Creative 4.5?
- 480 decorative and utility stitch options
- 15 one step buttonholes
- 5 alphanumeric fonts
- 270 built in embroidery designs
- Extra large embroidery area
- Stitch creator
- Precise positioning
- Shape creator
- Storage space built in to the embroidery unit
- 4 way mirror imaging
- Change size of embroidery designs without changing stitch count
- Design grouping
- Rotate embroidery designs by increments of 1o
- Jump to stitching
- Free arm
Working on the Pfaff Creative 4.5
When I first approached the Pfaff Creative 4.5 for this review, the embroidery unit was attached. Removing it was very easy, but there is a tiny trick to taking off the embroidery presser foot.
Once it was out of the way, attaching the snap on multi-purpose presser foot was literally a snap. With the embroidery unit removed, the free arm is exposed. The accessories case doubles as the workspace that slides into place easily and snaps into place with no pressure at all.
Threading the Pfaff Creative 4.5 and winding the bobbin are made easy by a series of easy to follow thread guides. Selecting the right stitch has the potential for creating confusion because there are so many and they are all so tempting.
The stitch menu is accessed by a simple touch of the stylus or your fingertip, which opens a series of four menu options. The first option give you access to utility, overcast, darning and buttonhole stitches. The second option makes it possible for the user to create hand look, antique quilting, stippling and crazy patch stitches.
Stitch menu option number three opens windows for creating cross stitch, hem, antique and smocking stitches; and the fourth option creates scallop edge stitches, satin stitches, leaves and flowers, art, ornamental stitches, bows and hearts, fun stitches which include whimsical decorative stitches for children’s clothes and accessories, and borders, which includes a collection of decorative ribbon stitches.
The fifth group is where you find the five alphanumeric fonts which can be magnified up to 500%. Navigating through the entire touchscreen menu, including the help menu was easy to achieve, but it was not until after referring to the owner’s manual that I was able to move from the ‘help’ menu back to the stitch menu options.
The bright LED lighting makes working on the Pfaff Creative 4.5 very easy on the eyes, eliminating shadows and softening glare.
For this review, I sampled several utility and decorative stitches, all of which were perfectly formed, evenly spaced and sturdy. In fact, the quality of the stitches made on the Pfaff Creative 4.5 is superior to the stitches made on other machines in the same category.
Adjusting the stitch length and width is a simple process, and easy to master without any coaching or special training.
Which fabrics work on the Pfaff Creative 4.5?
| Fabrics that work | Fabrics that don’t work |
|---|---|
| Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester Knits(Medium to heavyweight only) Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers Upholstery | Leather/suede Fur Reptile skin Canvas/Twill Plastic/Rubber |
What accessories come with the Pfaff Creative 4.5?
- 11 Snap on presser feet
- Standard
- Fancy stitch (2) – one with IDT and one without
- Blind hem
- Zipper
- Sensormatic buttonhole
- Manual buttonhole
- Embroidery
- Dynamic spring foot
- ¼’ Quilting foot
- Maxi stitch foot to accommodate 9mm stitch width
- Stylus
- Thread net (2)
- Edge guide
- Felt pad (2)
- USB Embroidery stick
- Screwdriver
- Seam ripper
- Brush
- 3 spool caps (small, medium and large)
- Multi-purpose tool
- Bobbins (10)
- Knee-lift
- PC software ready for free download
- USB cord
- Needles
- Microfiber cloth
- Pfaff Creative™ 4.5 Embroidery collection
How to maintain the Pfaff Creative 4.5?
| Maintenance activities | After each use | Monthly | Once each year | As needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Lubricate | No | No | No | No |
| Service by sewing machine repair professional | No | No | No | Yes |
Summary: Pfaff Creative 4.5 Review
To conclude my review, the Pfaff Creative 4.5 is an excellent sewing and embroidery machine. It has an extremely solid feel, produces wonderful stitch quality and has no vibration.
In truth, I think this machine is a step up from several of the Pfaff machines I have reviewed over the last couple of years… not that they were particularly bad or faulty machines.
This one, however, has a more solid feel. Those of you who have been sewing for a long time and can gage a machine’s durability by the way it feels when you sew on it know exactly what I mean.
In addition to the solid feel and superior stitch quality produced by the Pfaff Creative 4.5, this machine brings all of the essential machine sewing and embroidery requirements to the home sewing room.
It also comes with loads of extras that enhance the machine embroidery experience. The computer connectivity and 270 on board embroidery designs assure anyone who purchases this machine of almost unlimited embroidery design options.
The fact that the Pfaff Creative 4.5 can be programmed to produce any embroidery design in a monochromatic or color mode gives you even more flexibility when it comes to creating embroidery designs.
The precise placement feature and grid coupled with on board tutorials and the help menu guide users through all of the steps necessary to create a perfect embroidery design each and every time.
The Pfaff Creative 4.5 is an ideal choice for the home sewer who has reached the intermediate level… meaning they know their way around a sewing machine, are adept at clothing construction and understand the basic differences between the various fabrics and threads and are ready to explore their interest in machine embroidery.
It is also highly recommended for the person who has been working with an older sewing and embroidery machine and is in the market to add a more modernized machine to their sewing room inventory.
A seasoned home sewer who has been sewing for many years but never before attempted machine embroidery might just fall in love with machine embroidery and this machine in particular.
I do not recommend the Pfaff Creative 4.5 for use by beginners of any age because there are far too many things to learn in order to get the most out of this machine.
Someone who has no history whatsoever with a sewing machine could easily become overwhelmed. With a machine as advanced as this one, I believe the best customer is one who knows enough about sewing and machine embroidery in particular to be able to appreciate the Creative 4.5 for all that it has to offer.
I simply cannot see someone with little or no sewing skills being able to work with the many different embroidery and monogramming capabilities, or even the decorative stitches for that matter.
If, however, you happen to be one of those people who not only knows a good deal about machine embroidery, but is ready to step up your game, I strongly suggest that you set aside some time to visit your local Pfaff dealer and ask for a demonstration of the Pfaff Creative 4.5.
This is not the most expensive sewing and embroidery machine on the market, nor is it the least expensive; but it has one very important thing going for it that others in its class do not. The Pfaff Creative 4.5 won the 2014 Best Buy Award from Consumers’ Digest.
That is a clear indication that this machine is superior in many, many ways to all of the other sewing and embroidery machines in its price and weight category.
After reviewing it for myself, I can certainly see how the folks at Consumers’ Digest made the decision to bestow this particular award on the Pfaff Creative 4.5.
When you consider all that this machine is capable of doing, the MSRP is quite reasonable. Authorized Pfaff dealers offer special terms, discounts and financing from time to time, making the Creative 4.5 even more accessible. Check it out for yourself on the web at Pfaff and then go visit your local authorized Pfaff dealer.
Pfaff Creative 4.5 Review
Summary
The Pfaff Creative 4.5 is a sewing and embroidery machine that offers a wide range of features, making it a good option for both beginners and experienced sewers. It has 190 built-in stitches, including basic utility stitches, decorative stitches, and quilting stitches. The machine also has a number of features that make it easy to use, such as a needle threader, a top-loading bobbin, and a free arm. The Pfaff Creative 4.5 also has a built-in embroidery module, which allows you to embroider a variety of designs.
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Happy Stitching.
I don’t understand the rave reviews on this machine. I too at first couldn’t wait to get my hands on this machine until I found out it couldn’t do a decorative stitch on a quilt to save it life. I have done all the recommended steps, I have done the classes, it’s ridiculous. I have 3 other machines, no where near the quality that Pfaff claims itself to be, and they can do a decorative stitch without missing a beat and I don’t have to do a bunch of adjustments or have special needles. The lady teaching me at the quilt shops main tip was that I should consider buy a sewing table that the machine could sit inside of so that the weight of the quilt would be off of the needle and then maybe I could get more consistent stitches…..are you kidding me! A $5000 machine needs a sewing table in order to sew correctly! So do me a favor ladies, those of you that love this Pfaff, please be sure to tell all your friends how much you love it because I need to sell this thing so I can go get a Babylock.
looking to get a pfaff creative 450, what would your used price be i’m interested
Hello Amy, i am interested in buying your pfaff creative 4.5. can you contact me: sadi-raja@hotmail.com
Which baby lock did you buy . I’ve been looking at the brother VQ2 I have the pfaff creation performance which I’m thinking of selling with the embroidery unit
I am reading this and looking at the stitch out of the utility stitches. They do not look great at all. They look un-even and much like the machine is out of whack. My regular sewing machine (Janome) looks much better when doing its utility stitches and so does my BL Destiny. Was looking at this bc a friend just bought it last year and was saying how confusing it is. Must buy all of the hoops separate and it just does not work like many other embroidery machines. Man, if I were to buy another machine, it would not be this one. I willl stick to my Brother NQ1400e and my BabyLock Destiny…
I am interested in this machine. How much do you want and what state do you live in? I sew for a hobby… a few quilts a year.
Hello, Thomas –
Thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
I do not sell machines… only review them. You should contact an authorized Pfaff dealer in your area to get the information you are searching for.
Happy stitching.
Wonderful machine, capable of huge embroideries and lovely stitching. Solid metal parts inside. I think it would be a lot to learn for a beginner, but for intermediate to expert it’s a dream. I had to adjust bobbin tension for the type of thread I use when I got it, but after that, stitches like a dream so far.
Hello,
Does this Pfaff Creative Performance machine applique?
Esther
how does the pfaff creative 4.5 compare to the brothers dream creator xe vm5100?
Where can I get help moving a 5D embroidery design from my computer to my sewing machine – Pfaff Creative 4.5
Transfer the design onto a USB stick a plug into your machine make sur you name the design or make a folder and name it for all you 5D designs
I wanna to know your opinion about pfaff creative sensation pro.
Not worth 6000 plus in money…50 hours of use in 4 years and in the repair shop again…been almost 5 weeks in repair this time and still not fixed
I have this machine with large embroidery unit and for embroidery, it is great, produces a lovely stitch quality and we get along fine. Its great with my organic cotton thread, no breakage or tension issues. The menu systems are a bit confusing and after time away I find I forget how to navigate it. But it has the manual stored on the machine so I can quickly read up and the ? button which, when active, tells you what functions do, so its quick to get on track again. I haven’t taken the time to explore all the onboard design options but I have used the precision point feature to line up embroidery with success. However, I know someone who wasn’t happy with the way the machine worked and sold almost straight away for a Bernina.
For sewing, I am less impressed and instead tend to stick with my Pfaff 1475/3 machines which can handle just about anything with flair. I tried roll-hemming chiffon on the CV 4.5 and got appalling results, on my 1475 its fine. I also would be too timid to ask much of the CV 4.5 whereas I know my 1475 will happily work most fabrics (in desperation had to use it for faux fur and it was a champ!). This may partly be due to the fear of damaging such an expensive (to me) machine. I am a bit disappointed with it compared to my HV Designer 1, which I loved sewing on (very quiet and smooth) and used to make corsets. Sadly it was damaged when I loaned it to someone and I never got to test its embroidery functions out. I’m always conscious that since CV 4.5 is not TOL, its short of some extra functions I would have liked onboard from the CV 5/SP (ribbon, stacking, extra fonts, embroidery functions).
So conclusion, love it for embroidery and suits my needs there (so far). Let-down on the sewing, need another machine.
First, WOW, you paid a lot of money. I also had a lot of frustration with my 4.5. It was the first one sold in my area, thus probably early off the manufacturing line. I struggled for months with embroidery getting jammed. It was in the shop 4 times during the year I owned it. I finally talked to my dealer and he replaced it with a new 4.5 machine (kudos to Quality Sewing). I have had my new 4.5 for several months and it sews like a dream. I just finished beautiful embroideries for a wedding.
My point is that you may have an early machine as well. I have no idea what the problem was with the first machine but it was obviously resolved. Talk with our Pfaff dealer, they generally want to keep their customers happy so you keep coming back.
Good luck
Hi,
Thanks for such a review. I am going to a dealer tomorrow for an introduction to that machine. I’m an experienced sewer so this is exciting cfor me.
You mentioned corset making. Do you do any more of it? I am a man with hernia on my left i am always doing something to compensate for the off balance. If not any books that might help, i love a challenge. Many thanks, Larry Doyle
I bought a 4.5 a few weeks ago and am not disappointed. The embroidery side of the machine stitches wonderfully. Also love the idt feature and It has beautiful 9mm stitches without using the machine in embroidery mode. As a quilter and crafter this machine is great but I do think on a dressmaking basis my husqvarna designer se produced neater seam stitches. Also don’t feel 4.5 quite as easy to change feet and thread, although has many positives and has lots of potential and I’m thrilled with my purchase
I recently purchased a 4.5 in Sri Lanka only to find that after plugging it in to the wall socket all the exposed metal parts became live and gave me electric shocks – the machine was not turned on but the wall socket was.
This was checked by a professional electrician who said the machine was dangerous and should not have passed safety regulations here as the machine has a three pin plug to the wall but only two pin to the machine therefore no earth.
I note the agents – Singers – have suddenly no stock of Pfaff machines.
Has anyone else experienced this?
I’m embroidery machines pattern designer. For all brands. If you need everybody contact to me.
sercanbrother@hotmail.com
Will it do the Sew Net and Image Stitch as mentioned on the website? I can’t seem to get an answer from my local store.
I purchased a 4.5 and have continual serious trouble with it, first the main motor went and had to be replaced, the timing was out , next the bobbin winder motor broke down, another new motor, next, the embroidery attachment motor went, thus another new motor, Also have had continual trouble when embroidering, breaking needles, shredding thread, you name it and it does it.then today I was sewing straight stitch on 4 thicknesses of cotton fabric, and it made a huge noise, and now nothing happens other than an awful noise, so yet another trip to the repair man. I feel this machine should e replaced with a new one. We have a 450km trip to have this repaired. I am bitterly disappointed with this machine, as it has spent more time being repaired, than it has sewing.
Could any one tell me if they have to cut the jump stitches on brought in embroidery as I just purchased this machine and the store can not help me as the designs on the machine cut the stitches in between moving. I am very frustrated that I am back to cutting jump stitches which I did 10 years ago
I purchased a 4.5 two years ago. Have nothing but trouble, 3 different motors have had to be replaced, plus many other problems. The latest it had to have new needle holders etc, cost $450.00 au not covered under warranty, machine had wear and tear??? It is only 2years old, and 3 more years left under warranty? It sews beautifully when going, but that is not very often. I have a 4.5 hour drive to nearest service person, so this machine has cost me thousands in repairs.
I have this machine and adore it! My main forte is quilting and I have had excellent results from it. I just recently expanded into garment seeing and the results have been fabulous.
Would love to get some commentary from those who are long-time owners of the Pfaff Creative 4.5. This machine is still in production, although not sure for how long this will be true.
Also would like to point out in the features lists above, that this machine is NOT intended for heavy-duty work, including canvas. If I buy one, I’m going to keep my 1970s Viking also, which is a tank and can handle very heavy fabrics.
My Pfaff Creative 4.5 has some good features. I work from home as a seamstress. I have many clients depending on me. I do alterations & fittings. I do small projects for Interior designers. These areas give me opportunity to to do embroidery work. In the middle of a tea towel embroidery my machine suddenly screamed at me and stopped working. I had thought there were some odd sounds at times when machine came on. I wasn’t sure and I took my time to start sewing. It worked so OK let’s continue sewing. My machines are important for my work and hobbies. Having a machine stop, take in for repair and wait out till fixed isn’t good. I haven’t done a lot of embroidery on the Pfaff but I bought it for that ability. Not a happy seamstress — this machine is higher end of home machines.$$$. I need to get it in for repairs now